In a shocking turn of events, Billy Chemirmir, a Texas prisoner accused of killing 22 older women over a span of two years, was found dead in his cell on Tuesday. Chemirmir, who was serving a life sentence for his crimes, was killed by his cellmate, who was also serving a prison sentence for murder. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson, Hannah Haney, confirmed the incident but did not release the identity of the cellmate or the details of how Chemirmir was killed.

The news of Chemirmir's death comes just two weeks after Texas' 100 prisons were placed on a rare statewide lockdown due to a rise in the number of killings inside the facilities, which prison officials attribute to drug-related incidents. The lockdown measures included limited inmate movement and contact with outsiders, intensified searches, and heightened drug testing protocols. As of Tuesday, 75 units had lifted the lockdown, but the Coffield Unit, where Chemirmir was imprisoned, was among the 25 units that remained under lockdown.

Chemirmir's killing spree targeted older women, with many of the victims living in apartments at independent living communities for older people. The deaths were initially attributed to natural causes, despite family members raising concerns about missing jewelry. Chemirmir was finally caught after a 91-year-old woman survived an attack in 2018 and provided crucial information to the police. He was apprehended the next day, carrying jewelry and cash, and was found to have discarded a large red jewelry box.

Following Chemirmir's arrest, police reexamined deaths in the area, leading to the identification of more victims and the subsequent charges against him. The first capital murder trial for the killing of Lu Thi Harris, 81, ended in a mistrial, but Chemirmir was later convicted in a retrial. He was also convicted of a second killing in the death of Mary Brooks, 87. The remaining 11 charges against Chemirmir were dismissed after his convictions in Dallas County.

Family members of the victims expressed a mix of shock and relief at the news of Chemirmir's death. Shannon Dion, whose mother was one of the victims, spoke at a news conference, saying, "My mother died in fear. This man did not have a peaceful passing. There's some relief in feeling that he didn't get off easily."

Chemirmir's attorney, Phillip Hayes, described his death as a "horrible tragedy" and emphasized that nobody deserves to be killed, especially while being held against their will. Chemirmir maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings.

The Office of Inspector General is currently investigating Chemirmir's death. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is gradually lifting the lockdown measures in the prisons, with the aim of resuming normal operations and ensuring the safety of inmates and staff.